I am just entering into the intermediate level of playing and decided to expand my horizons and force myself out of a comfort zone by taking on something new. I am also trying to learn as much theory as possible as well as reading music since I don't have the best ear.
I purchased a Martin Mini size 5 Terz and love the sound and feel. It comes with light strings tuned a third higher, Terz tuning. I am told you can use medium gauge strings and tune to standard tuning but what is the point and that would defeat the purpose at this juncture of learning and experimenting. I do have some questions.
1. Are there any books available that would allow me to better understand how to play in this tuning? (Terz)
2. Since I am in the key of G do I need to transpose all of my chords to a different fingering or just play the same chord shapes as though I had a capo on the third fret of my primary guitar?
3. I assume I need to relearn the entire fretboard and relearn all of my chords.
Any thoughts or comments appreciated. I have had some friends come over a place a capo on their third fret to play along on some tunes. Most sounded fine but some of the chords just didn't sound right.
Robt.
You probably won't find any books on playing in this tuning, just there probably won't be many on playing a guitar in standard tuning with a capo on the 2nd fret, for example. If you're going to be reading standard notation (like if you were interested in classical guitar) or even tablature, then yah, you'd have to relearn where all the actual notes are. But for just playing regular songs and stuff, it would be like using a capo, except just thinking in the 'opposite' direction like you said.
Similar to playing with a capo with standard-tuned guitars. Sometimes I'll do that in a recording - putting a capo up the neck - just so I can get different voicings than the main track. You know, the same actual chord, but like a barre, you play a different 'shape' when it's in a different location on the neck. It would be similar with this tuning you're using. Like to play a G major chord, you'd play the open-E 'shape' chord where normally on a standard tuned guitar, you'd play the open-G shape. You'd get a different voicing - the same notes, but in slightly different order - but they'd match.
Kinda interesting to mix these together.
Hope this helps. :)
